John Register

U.S. Paralympian; U.S. Army Combat Veteran; Author

John Register is a two-time Paralympian, a Paralympic Games Silver Medalist, a Persian Gulf War veteran, and a TEDx motivational speaker who inspires people to live healthier, wealthier, more fulfilling, passionate, and purposeful life.

Request Availability

Bio

John Register is a two-time Paralympian, Paralympic Games Silver Medalist, Persian Gulf War veteran, and TEDx Motivational Speaker. He embraced a “new normal mindset” in becoming an amputee following a misstep over a hurdle while training for the 1996 Olympic Games, after participation in two consecutive Olympic trials.

An Oak Park, Ill. native, Register discovered how to “amputate his fear of disability” and founded the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Military Sport Program in the early 2000s. He launched a book titled: 10 Stories to Impact Any Leader: Journal Your Way to Leadership Success, as business leaders return to work with their staff amid stressful circumstances surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic and the recent unrest in our urban cities.

Register teaches business professionals through his “Hurdling Adversity” speeches and podcasts to “amputate fear and embrace their new normal,” as they discover “stories within themselves.”

He finds that “it is the personal stories that inspire teams more profoundly with greater impact.”

Register is a four-time All-American graduate of University of Arkansas. He served six years in the U.S. Army—including in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and in active-duty with the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program—winning nine gold medals in the Armed Services Competition and two World Military Championships.

Register had his left leg amputated after a misstep over a hurdle changed his life. Register hyperextended his knee and severed the popliteal artery. He started swimming to aid in his recovery, made the U.S. Paralympic Team in 1996, and later won a silver medal in the long jump—as he set an American record—and sprinted to fifth in the 100 meters and 200 meters at the U.S. Paralympic Games in Sydney.

Register resides in Colorado Springs, CO with his wife Alice. The couple have three children - John Jr., Ashley, and Ronald.

Download PDF

Email a Friend

Keynotes

Featured Keynote

Amputate to Amplify: Transform Adversity into Advantage
It seems as if there are so many reports that stress, burnout, and isolation have become the hidden adversaries of progress; how do we cut through the noise and transform adversity into our greatest advantage? This question lies at the heart of an epidemic plaguing leaders and teams in today’s high-stakes business environment. Despite efforts to bridge the gap, a profound perception divide persists, underscoring a critical disconnect between executive actions and employee realities.

Enter “Amputate to Amplify: Transform Adversity Into Advantage,” a keynote designed to address this chasm and provide a potent solution. Come on a journey with award-winning keynote speaker John Register, CSP, who embodies resilience, transformation, and triumph. This presentation is a masterclass redefining the narrative of mental preparation and fortitude in the face of burnout, exhaustion, and extreme overwhelm.

Why do leaders often miss the mark on acknowledging the severity of workplace mental health issues? How can they effectively close the perception gap that undermines the very fabric of a healthy, sustainable organizational culture? These pressing questions form the crux of a timely and necessary discourse.

John Register’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. From an Olympic-class hurdler and Army combat veteran to becoming a Paralympic silver medalist following a life-altering amputation, John’s narrative is a testament to the indomitable spirit of human will. His keynote draws from this wellspring of personal challenge and triumph, offering an actionable blueprint for navigating the tumultuous waters of uncertainty, stress, and anxiety.

Through a compelling three-stage process—The Reckoning, the Revision, and the Renewal—John lays out a roadmap for embracing adversity as a catalyst for acknowledging our prior state, honoring our present situation, and committing to growth through innovation and adaptation. His approach dismantles the barriers of fear and resistance, urging leaders and employees alike to adopt a “new normal mindset” that views change not as a threat but as an invaluable opportunity.

Session Outcomes:
- Develop a “New Normal Mindset”: Participants will gain insights into embracing change as a cornerstone for personal and professional development, armed with the tools to turn the tides of uncertainty to their advantage.
- Transform Adversity into Advantage: Through the three-stage process of reckoning, revision, and renewal, attendees will learn to reframe challenges as opportunities, fostering a culture of agility, innovation, and success.
- Build Resilience and Perseverance: The keynote emphasizes the power of resilience—the courage to seek help—and perseverance as vital components for overcoming obstacles and achieving enduring success.
This is more than just a keynote; it’s a call for a performance shift in confronting and navigating adversity. John Register invites you to a journey of transformation where today’s trials are tomorrow’s triumphs.

Champions Mindset: Olympic Lessons for Business Success
Champions Mindset: Olympic Lessons for Business Success
Elite sports are a high-stakes world. Athletes are battling opponents and contending with the rigorous demands of mental preparation. This grueling journey involves overcoming isolation, loneliness, and the ever-looming specter of burnout. Imagine the relentless pursuit of excellence, where the thin line between triumph and defeat is physical prowess and robust mental fortitude. The path to the podium is fraught with challenges that test every fiber of an athlete’s being, requiring physical endurance and a resilient mindset equipped with strategies for prevention, reset, and recovery.

Introducing “Champions Mindset: Olympic Lessons for Business Success,” a program where the gritty reality of athletic preparation meets the competitive business world. Led by keynote speaker John Register, a decorated athlete with an illustrious career spanning Olympic trials, All-American honors, and Paralympic victories, as well as corporate leadership expertise as a CEO of a multimillion-dollar non-profit organization, this session bridges the gap between the athletic arena and business success.

John leverages his unique journey from Olympic hopeful to Paralympic medalist to corporate turnaround expert to shed light on the indispensable value of a preventive maintenance plan. Athletes, much like business leaders, must navigate the challenges of isolation and burnout with a steadfast recovery and refueling strategy. This program is designed to impart these critical lessons, translating elite sports’ discipline, resilience, and recovery tactics into actionable strategies for business excellence.

Session Outcomes:

Analyze: Delve into the athlete’s journey, dissecting the mental and physical strategies culminating in podium finishes. Apply these insights to fortify your business culture and sales systems.

Identify: Uncover and address the disruptions that veer your business off course. Learn to anticipate and mitigate these disturbances to stay on the growth path.

Discover: Gain a competitive edge by embracing the concept of a “plus one day” – a training philosophy that champions incremental improvement for sustained success.

Implement: Extract and apply the distilled wisdom from Olympic and Paralympic journeys to elevate your company’s performance, fostering a culture of resilience and achievement.

Don’t miss this unparalleled opportunity to harness the Champions Mindset. By embracing the lessons from the pinnacle of athletic achievement, you can elevate your business strategies, drive growth, and achieve your own version of gold.
Bank Your Bottom Line: The Business Case for People with Disabilities in the Workplace
Bank Your Bottom Line: The Business Case for People with Disabilities in the Workplace
In an era where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are at the forefront of corporate agendas, there exists a pivotal yet often overlooked opportunity that champions social justice and significantly enhances business performance. This untapped potential lies within the disability community, a segment of the workforce that, despite possessing immense talent and determination, remains underrepresented and undervalued. John Register’s keynote, “Bank Your Bottom Line: The Business Case for People with Disabilities in the Workplace,” illuminates this path, marrying moral imperative with strategic business advantage.

Misconceptions and missed opportunities mar the narrative surrounding employment for people with disabilities. With an unemployment rate that starkly contrasts with that of the non-disabled population, the disparity not only highlights a social equity issue but also signals a vast reservoir of untapped potential within our labor market. This gap represents not a challenge but an opportunity for businesses to lead with innovation and inclusivity.

John introduces a transformative concept: “Innovatability.” This principle transcends the traditional notion of overcoming adversity, advocating instead for adaptation and innovation as a means to harness the unique perspectives and abilities of individuals with disabilities. Innovatablity is the alchemy of adapting to challenges with creativity, thereby unlocking new avenues for productivity, engagement, and growth.

Session Outcomes:

Inclusive Culture Creation: Discover the imperative of fostering an environment where individuals with disabilities are included and actively supported through accessible technology, specialized training, and a culture of empowerment.

Strategic Recruitment: Learn the strategies for attracting this skilled and loyal talent pool, from forming partnerships with relevant organizations to targeted recruitment efforts that recognize and value diversity.

Financial Incentives: Uncover the financial benefits, including tax credits and grants, that reward businesses for their commitment to disability employment, enhancing the business case for diversity and inclusion.

Competitive Advantage: Accenture’s 2018 report is a compelling testament to the power of inclusion, demonstrating that companies committed to disability diversity outperform their peers significantly, yielding unparalleled shareholder returns.

John’s message is not just a call to action; it’s a blueprint for innovation and progress. His unique intersectionality—as a person with a disability, a person of color, and a combat veteran—positions him uniquely to spearhead this conversation, bridging gaps and forging connections across various dimensions of diversity.